Total Recall

Total Recall

First the bad news. Total Recall is over two decades old. When I realized that, I felt horrible. My back started aching, I thought I felt some arthritis in my knees, and a few more hairs turned gray. What the hell. I remember this movie coming out like it was yesterday. It can't be that old, can it? Is that possible?

And now, the good news.  Total Recall is just as awesome as it always was. Oh, maybe there are a few things that date the film here and there. Some of the hair styles, clothing, sets, and even some filmmaking aspects like the camera angles make it clear that this is a 1990 film. But nothing can hold this movie back from its rip-roaring, eye-bulging, exploding coolness.

Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Doug Quaid, a humble construction worker on Earth. One day, he decides to visit Rekall, a company that sells vacation memories - providing you with the memory of an awesome trip without all the hassles of lost luggage, annoying locals, and tipping waiters. Arnold's vacation is a fantasy package that allows him to be a secret agent. The problem is, the Rekall people accidentally unlock a previous memory implant. Maybe Doug Quaid really is a secret agent. He certainly doesn't think he is...but then why is that gang of gunmen chasing him all of the sudden? The adventure that follows is a whirlwind ride, leading Quaid from Earth to Mars, where he finds himself into the middle of rebellion and intrigue.

On the superficial level, the film is a blast. Big explosions, fun villains (played by Ronny Cox and Michael Ironside), beautiful women (Sharon Stone and Rachel Ticotin), weird mutants, superb special effects, more explosions, this is an action-packed movie. But what makes it a cut above the other action flicks of the period is that it is actually very smart, thanks to a clever script by Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett, and Gary Goldman. Believe it or not, it is almost Hitchcockian in its story loops - I know all those stuffy film lovers who love Hitchcock and hate Schwarzenegger are now flicking me off. But I dare them to take another look at this movie. If Hitchcock had ever directed a science fiction film, it would be this. It would certainly be less violent, but the story structure would probably be very much the same. The mistaken identities, the suspenseful double crosses, and the journey of the everyman into the hero have a lot in common with North by Northwest, The Man who Knew Too Much, and other Hitchcock greats.

And how about Arnold Schwarzenegger? He will also be best known as the Terminator and rightfully so, because it is such an iconic role and performance. But I have always felt that Total Recall plays more to his strengths as an actor - he plays befuddled and confused really well, and his unique gift is that he can do this while also being believably badass at the same time. And I don't care what people say about him as an actor, he has great comic timing, which is something this movie lets him play with in spades. Is it his best movie or his best role? Nope. But it might be his best performance.

You know, now that I think about it, maybe Total Recall being so old isn't such a bad thing. A movie needs to be at least 20 years old to be considered a classic. And I'm happy to report that Total Recall fits that description pretty damn well.

MVP: This one is tough. Arnold and Verhoeven are in peak form. The music by Jerry Goldsmith is one of his personal best scores and truly elevates the movie. But I think the winner is going to have to be a team of technicians led by Eric Brevig, Rob Bottin, Tim McGovern, and Alex Funke. This is the special effects team, and their work is truly superb. This is old school special effects at its finest, at its most perfect form, before CGI took over everything. Total Recall relies on matte paintings, miniatures, puppets, and all of it is almost seamless. The special effects were so good that the film won a Special Academy Award for the achievement. And they are still really good even today. Only in a few places do they show their age. For the most part, it looks even better than CGI. So for that, the special effects team gets worthy MVP.

BEST LINE: Quaid: "Consider that a divorce."

TRIVIA: Patrick Swayze was cast as Doug Quaid at one point, early in development. Nothing against Swayze, but that would have been...a different movie.

OSCARS: Special Achievement Award for Special Effects

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Sound. Goldsmith was robbed. He wasn't even nominated. :(

SPECIAL NOTE: SPOILER. I think I need to discuss the ending of Total Recall. Heavy spoilers here, so don't continue if you want to preserve the surprise. In some ways, Total Recall was the Inception of its day. There are blurred lines of reality, and there is some question about whether the whole movie takes place in Arnold's head. Is the whole movie actually the vacation that Quaid purchased? There is a lot of debate about this. I personally think the movie IS in his head. Here's why: the vacation package he buys is called "Blue Skies on Mars." That's what happens by the end of the movie. The sequence of events described by the salesman is exactly like the sequence of events as played out in the film. The brunette in the computer program just happens to look exactly like the girl he meets on the adventure.

And where does the dude with the briefcase come from? Cohaagan doesn't yet know that Quaid has been 'activated,' so there is no way he could have sent the briefcase guy in, as the film later claims. No, that scene only works in the context of the 'mystery spy movie,' like one that has just been planted in Arnold's head. Need more proof? Let's go for something literal. When the Rekall spokesman is trying to convince Arnold that everything is a dream, he says that if he isn't careful, "the walls of reality could come crashing down." What happens next? The wall literally crashes down and a bunch of gun-toting bad guys charge through it. The whole movie is totally in his head. I'm sure of it!